So the usual annual predictions are out from our wonderful pundits. All 20 of them "telling" us what will happen.
Whilst, normally this would be a 2 minute bit of fun reading, for me it illustrates precisely how football, left unchecked by the governing bodies, can
get very unpleasant, very quickly.
We all remember football when the same 4 teams finished in the same top 4 position year after year, after year. From memory this went on from the early 1990's through to the mid 2000's.
During this period, unless you supported Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal, you really had little to look forward to each year. Maybe a good cup run where you maybe pulled off a couple of shock wins, possibly sneak into the lower levels of European footie, but otherwise, you accepted it is was it is every year.
Then "other" lesser clubs started to get a bigger share of the tv money, got a little bit more ambitious, and suddenly we had a top 6, and a few other clubs who had a bit more to play for each year.
During this period - mid 2000's to around 2019 - football started to get more fun to follow and watch, with a bit more unpredictability, and more clubs with just a little bit more shout for one of the three cups on offer.
Unfortunately, whilst we do have, allegedly, the FFP rules, these have been largely ignored in recent years, and, whilst left unchecked, in a flash, we are back to the top 4 predictability again.
This time City instead of Arsenal.
So, as we can see, of the 20 "experts" only one, Jermaine Beckford, has sneaked Leicester into 4th. All 19 of the others have, no doubt, without having to think about it, have predicted the same 4 clubs for these 4 places.
Unfortunately, with the money driven advantages these clubs have, they are almost certainly right in their predictions.
As worrying for me, I watched the transfer show yesterday, and one of them, for a change was making some sense, by stating that they may as well rip up the FFP rules, as in his opinion, they were being ignored. He illustrated this by quoted PSG's wage bill at around £500m, with the next biggest wage bill in the French league at £20m.
As he said, clearly this is not right, and must place all the other French clubs ( and their fans ) in a position that is basically pointless.
So, in the UK, we are now back to where we were, with four clubs dominating every aspect of our game and, for me rendering an ability to follow football with anywhere near a level playing field as totally pointless.
We only have just the four dominant teams simply because we have more TV revenue in this country and more rich individuals, one an actual country, but it also happens in Germany ( one club league ) Italy ( one club league ) Spain ( two to three club league ) and obviously France, which is now the worst of the lot.
The minute you allow money into the game, and more importantly leave the spread of money unchecked, you effectively kill the game as a spectator sport.
When I was a kid, it was all about playing the game. Now let's be honest, it's all about how much are we going to spend and who are we going to buy in each window.
To be honest I for one am not, for once, looking forward to the opening fixtures. For me it is all a bit stale, too commercialised, and presented by a company ( Sky ) who are riddled with bias, and for the majority, don't give a sh*t who is abusing FFP, as long as it is, in their opinion, watchable.
Enjoy the kick off. Shame we all know what is going to happen before a ball is kicked.
Football lost it's identity ?
posted on 12/8/21
There's well over 150 non-league clubs in the Greater London area alone.
Football is doing just fine, thank you.
posted on 12/8/21
City bought 25 defibrillators for local non-league clubs.
I assume Spurs did the same with them being such a people's club.
posted on 12/8/21
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 12 minutes ago
City bought 25 defibrillators for local non-league clubs.
I assume Spurs did the same with them being such a people's club.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We turned our billion dollar stadium into a vaccine centre and during the pandemic we helped a hospital by turning parts of the stadium into a ward for preganant women's outpatient services. They also were given access to the cheese room which does not exist.
We also have helped created 3500 jon for the local area and recently helped 10 student get their A levels for Uni.
In regards to Defibrillators we recently played Orient where the proceeds go to the Justin Edinburugh foundation which :
Campaigns for legislative change on the installation of Automated External Defibrillators within health and sports facilities, while raising awareness of cardiac arrest and delivering CPR training.
Man City have already splashed £100m on Grealish and preparing another £100m+ bid for Kane. That would buy a hell of alot more defribrillators
The point is we do more than our fair share for community. Have a butchers on the Spurs website if you ever get time.
posted on 12/8/21
3500 jobs*
posted on 12/8/21
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 12/8/21
comment by GTWI4T- some people deserve to get trolled (U6008)
posted 14 minutes ago
Has it come down to arguing to which club is the nicest due based on what they do for charities/local teams.
Wow.
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Glad you are impressed with Spurs' contribution to the community GT. It's good when you pop in for a quick perv. Makes my day
posted on 12/8/21
This article is pure waffle, honestly
posted on 13/8/21
comment by LukaBrasi COYS #FreePalestine (U22178)
posted 8 hours, 23 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 12 minutes ago
City bought 25 defibrillators for local non-league clubs.
I assume Spurs did the same with them being such a people's club.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We turned our billion dollar stadium into a vaccine centre and during the pandemic we helped a hospital by turning parts of the stadium into a ward for preganant women's outpatient services. They also were given access to the cheese room which does not exist.
We also have helped created 3500 jon for the local area and recently helped 10 student get their A levels for Uni.
In regards to Defibrillators we recently played Orient where the proceeds go to the Justin Edinburugh foundation which :
Campaigns for legislative change on the installation of Automated External Defibrillators within health and sports facilities, while raising awareness of cardiac arrest and delivering CPR training.
Man City have already splashed £100m on Grealish and preparing another £100m+ bid for Kane. That would buy a hell of alot more defribrillators
The point is we do more than our fair share for community. Have a butchers on the Spurs website if you ever get time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Inky slaughtered here
posted on 13/8/21
comment by LukaBrasi COYS #FreePalestine (U22178)
posted 8 hours, 48 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 12 minutes ago
City bought 25 defibrillators for local non-league clubs.
I assume Spurs did the same with them being such a people's club.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We turned our billion dollar stadium into a vaccine centre and during the pandemic we helped a hospital by turning parts of the stadium into a ward for preganant women's outpatient services. They also were given access to the cheese room which does not exist.
We also have helped created 3500 jon for the local area and recently helped 10 student get their A levels for Uni.
In regards to Defibrillators we recently played Orient where the proceeds go to the Justin Edinburugh foundation which :
Campaigns for legislative change on the installation of Automated External Defibrillators within health and sports facilities, while raising awareness of cardiac arrest and delivering CPR training.
Man City have already splashed £100m on Grealish and preparing another £100m+ bid for Kane. That would buy a hell of alot more defribrillators
The point is we do more than our fair share for community. Have a butchers on the Spurs website if you ever get time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't have the time really, the Etihad still remains the main Vax centre for East Manchester as it has been since they first rolled the vaccines out.
CFG have created 6,000 jobs with a lot more in the pipeline and we never asked for a penny in furlough money.
As for education, our owners built the Conell 6th form College and pay for it's upkeep. Opposite is the East Manchester Leisure Centre also paid for by the club this is a continuation of 40 years of work by CITC (City in The Community) a groundbreaking charity that has been going since long before our present owners ruined football.
I commend any club that gives as well as takes but don't go down the "You could have built a hospital wing instead of buying player X route, it makes you sound like a cunnnt.
posted on 13/8/21
Man City fans claiming they haven’t done anything wrong are like those billionaires who don’t pay any taxes claiming they haven’t broken any laws.
They are taking advantage of a system designed with loads of loopholes, and they have lots of highly paid lawyer who knows how to bend the law.
Its amusing to see them trying to justify trying to buy all the trophies though.